Partula (gastropod)

For other uses, see Partula (disambiguation).

Partula
Partula radiolata
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Order: Stylommatophora
Infraorder: Pupilloidei
Superfamily: Pupilloidea
Family: Partulidae
Genus: Partula
Férussac, 1821[1]
Synonyms
list of synonyms:
  • Astraea Hartman, 1881
  • Bulimus (Partula)
  • Clytia Hartman, 1881
  • Echo Hartman, 1881
  • Harmonia Hartman, 1881
  • Helena Hartman, 1881
  • Marianna Pilsbry, 1909
  • Matata Hartman, 1881
  • Nenia Hartman, 1881
  • Oenone Hartman, 1881
  • Partula (Astraea) Hartman, 1881 (invalid: junior homonym of Astraea Röding, 1798 [Gastropoda, Turbinidae])
  • Partula (Carolinella) Pilsbry, 1909
  • Partula (Clytia) Hartman, 1881 (invalid: junior homonym of Clytia Lamouroux, 1812 [Cnidaria])
  • Partula (Echo) Hartman, 1881 (invalid: junior homonym of Echo Selys, 1853 [Odonata]; Leptopartula is a replacement name)
  • Partula (Harmonia) Hartman, 1881 (invalid: junior homonym of Harmonia Mulsant, 1846 [Coleoptera]; Marianna is a replacement name)
  • Partula (Helena) Hartman, 1881 (invalid: junior homonym of Helena Risso, 1826 [Crustacea])
  • Partula (Leptopartula) Pilsbry, 1909
  • Partula (Marianella) Pilsbry, 1909
  • Partula (Marianna) Pilsbry, 1909
  • Partula (Matata) Hartman, 1881
  • Partula (Melanesica) Pilsbry, 1909
  • Partula (Nenia) Hartman, 1881 (invalid: junior homonym of Nenia H. & A. Adams, 1855 [Gastropoda, Clausiliidae])
  • Partula (Oenone) Hartman, 1881 (invalid: junior homonym of Oenone Lamarck, 1818 [Annelida])
  • Partula (Partula) A. Férussac, 1821· accepted, alternate representation
  • Partula (Pasithea) Hartman, 1881 (invalid: junior homonym of Pasithea Oken, 1807 [Vermes], Pasithea Lamarck, 1812 [Cnidaria] and Pasithea Lea, 1833 [Gastropoda])
  • Partula (Rennellia) Clench, 1941 (junior synonym)
  • Partula (Sterope) Hartman, 1881 (invalid: junior homonym of Sterope Goodsir, 1845 [Crustacea])
  • Partula (Thakombaua) Pilsbry, 1909
  • Pasithea Hartman, 1881 (junior synonym)
  • Rennellia Clench, 1941 (junior synonym)
  • Scilistylus Iredale, 1941
  • Sterope Hartman, 1881
Black-and-white photo taken in July 1920 in Saipan, showing numerous Partula snails on the underside of a single leaf of Caladium
Partula gibba
Partula langfordi

Partula is a genus of air-breathing tropical land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Partulidae.[2][3]

Many species of Partula are known under the general common names "Polynesian tree snail" and "Moorean viviparous tree snail".[4] Partulids are distributed across 5,000 sq mi (13,000 km2) of Pacific Ocean islands, from the Society Islands to New Guinea.[citation needed]

Once used as decorative items in Polynesian ceremonial wear and jewelry, these small snails (averaging about one-half to three-quarters of an inch in length) gained the attention of science when Dr. Henry Crampton (along with Yoshio Kondo) spent 50 years studying and cataloging partulids, detailing their remarkable array of morphological elements, ecological niches, and behavioral aspects that illustrate adaptive radiation.[5][6]

  1. ^ Férussac A. É. d'A. de (June 1821). Journ. de Physique 92: 460; 1821, H.N. g. et p. Moll., Tabl. Limaçons, 23.
  2. ^ Myers, P.; Espinosa, R.; Parr, C. S.; Jones, T.; Hammond, G. S. & Dewey, T. A. (2006). The Animal Diversity Web (online). Accessed at http://animaldiversity.org.
  3. ^ ITIS Standard Report Page: Partulidae
  4. ^ Searching for "Partula". In: IUCN 2010. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2010.3. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 14 September 2010.
  5. ^ Jung, Younghun, Taehwan Lee, Burch J. B. & Diarmaid Ó Foighil. (2005) "Historical phylogeny of Tahitian Partula". Proc. Joint Conference - American Malacological Society and Western Society of Malacologists.
  6. ^ Gerlach, J. (2016) Icons of Evolution - Pacific island tree snails, family Partulidae. Phelsuma Press, Cambridge